So That's How He Knew!
by Basmathgirl
Summary: A teenage Donna meets an interesting man on a Year 11 school trip to an art museum. This was written partly because I wanted to explain a line in TRB; and I adore Eight.


**Warning:** Donna shows typical stroppy, knowledgeable and lovable teenage behaviour here.

**Summary:** Donna meets an interesting man on a Year 11 school trip to an art museum.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these Doctor Who characters, but I sure wish I did!

**A/N:** This was written in response to the Travellers' Tales Prompt #37 – renaissance over at doctor_donna.

**A/N2:** My muse fed me the first line and the thought "How did Ten know Donna's surname in TRB?"

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><p><strong>So That's How He Knew! <strong>

.

"And this…," the tour guide wittered on, "is a fine example of Renaissance man! Note the detail on his shirt and the complex background…"

Donna began to tune out as she scowled at the painting. She'd already looked at it three times in the last ten minutes! This school trip to the art museum was becoming a pain. Couldn't the woman just let them look in their own time and in their own way?

"Donna?" her friend Chanice whispered into her right ear. "There's a bloke over there who keeps giving you the once over! Don't look now, but he just did it again."

"Where?" Donna asked, trying not to move her head to peer to the side.

"It's the bloke in the fancy jacket. I think he must work here. Looks like he might be an exhibit judging by the state of his clothing! What does he think he's wearing?" Chanice tittered.

Donna managed to swing her head by flicking her hair over her shoulder. She saw a man with jaw-length curly hair in his thirties, wearing a dark velvet jacket, a cravat and an Edwardian shirt. He wasn't bad looking at all; in fact he was quite tasty! Donna shot him a small smile and was glad to get an answering one. So she sauntered nearer to him. "Donna!" Chanice muttered in shocked warning, but Donna thought there could be no harm in getting a closer look, especially as Ms Hunter was within 4 metres away to rescue her.

The man nodded towards a particular painting, "You could be in one of these quite easily. You have the skin for it." His words sounded suggestive, but his tone and smile were completely innocent.

"D'you think so?" Donna blushed. "All these women look a bit…"

"Exquisite!" the man supplied. "With your hair colouring you'd fit right in."

"Really?" Donna practised batting her eyelashes at him. What did it matter? She was never going to see him again after all.

"Oh yes!" he confirmed enthusiastically. "Hair as beautiful as yours needs to be captured by an artist."

'Blimey, he's laying it on thick!' Donna thought. "So you like this colour then?" she asked, since people normally ridiculed her about her hair.

"Do I?" he grinned broadly. "I once had a close… friend… who had hair that colour. I'd like to be that ginger one day."

"I don't think you would," Donna snorted. "It's a pain in the bum! Nobody makes me feel good about it."

"Then I shall make it my mission to make you feel better about yourself," he declared. "I'm the Doctor, by the way," he smiled softly. "Doctor… John Smith."

"I'm Donna. Donna Noble; though I shouldn't be telling you that!" she admitted. "You might turn out to be some creepy stalker and I'll have to kill you horribly like in some horror film," she nervously giggled.

"Donna!" a nearby boy called out to her, trying to wave her over towards him. "Donna!"

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the Doctor. "That's Billy Jenkins. He keeps trying to entice me over to look at that statue; he seems to think I'd be dead interested in a naked bloke!"

"And are you?" the Doctor teased.

"Nah!" Donna laughed. "If I wanted to look at blokes in the buff that much I can nick one of Uncle Terry's naughty magazines! No, Billy wants more than that from me, but I like men that are more mature and he still thinks the word 'bum' is funny."

"He'll outgrow it," the Doctor consoled her.

"Well, he can outgrow it without trying to fondle me, thank you very much!" Donna told him with feeling. She mischievously smiled at him suddenly, "Do you work here or does your wife deliberately dress you funny?"

"I'm not married, and I don't work here," he told her with amusement. "I like to come here sometimes and mix with people enjoying the artwork."

"I bet you do!" she scoffed. "And the fact the room has loads of nudes in it has nothing to do with that."

"Oh! So you think I'm one of the dirty raincoat brigade, do you?" he smirked. "No, I knew some of these artists so I like to see their work being appreciated."

Donna eyed him suspiciously, "Are you seriously trying to tell me you're _that_ old and expect me to believe it? You're having a laugh!"

The Doctor chuckled, "Okay; just a bit."

"Donna Noble! Come here this instant!" Ms Hunter yelled out across the gallery.

Donna rolled her eyes in exasperation at the Doctor, as only teenagers can. "Yes Miss!" she called back to the teacher. "Bye John Smith," she whispered to the Doctor.

He mouthed the word 'bye' to her in return.

"Donna Noble, what were you thinking, talking to strange men like that?" the teacher demanded once Donna reached her.

"But Miss…," Donna tried to defend herself.

"No buts Donna! You are not to leave my side again," Ms Hunter insisted.

Donna threw the Doctor a forlorn look, so he smiled consolingly back before heading away from the room to save her from any further embarrassment. 'Shame,' he thought, 'she would make good companion material one day.' He made a mental note of her name for future reference and turned his footsteps back towards his hidden TARDIS for a refreshing cup of tea.

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End file.
